Event cancelled

The RMIT Global Development Portfolio is launching its first Global Dialogue Series in Europe with a dynamic presentation and discussion on the future of cities.

The Flussbad Berlin project is transforming the banks of the Spree river and canal. Image source: www.flussbad-berlin.de, licensed under a creative commons, Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0)

Are cities the problem or the solution when it comes to climate change? RMIT University and Arup invite you to 'RMIT Global Dialogue Series: Cities of the Future'.

Cities are now contributing to over 70 per cent of global energy-related carbon dioxide emissions. But at the same time, they are also at the forefront of innovation in urban technology and climate-ready solutions​. Cities are not only leading the way in adapting to a changing climate, they are also living urban laboratories, where experiments with green buildings, smart urban transport and new forms of civic engagement are pioneered.

At this event for RMIT alumni in Berlin, Germany, Associate Professor Hartmut Fünfgeld, researcher for RMIT’s Centre for Urban Research, and Dr Gereon Uerz, Foresight and Innovation Specialist at Arup, will discuss the future of cities by sharing examples of innovative and transformative actions taken by cities around the world to address climate change.

This event will provide RMIT alumni with the opportunity to exchange ideas on current trends and solutions as well as contribute to the global agenda for the future of cities.

Dr Hartmut Fünfgeld is an Associate Professor in sustainability and urban planning at RMIT University. Hartmut has ten years of experience in academic research, consulting and practice on climate change and sustainability with international governmental and non-governmental organisations. He has a PhD in human geography from the University of Heidelberg, Germany. Through applied research and teaching, Hartmut is keen to collaboratively develop new knowledge and practical solutions for the world’s most pressing social and environmental problems.

Gereon Uerz - ARUP

Dr. Gereon Uerz is a sociologist and foresight professional who joined Arup in 2014. He left the University of Freiburg in Germany where he was senior researcher and lecturer at the Institute of Sociology in 2005 to join Z punkt The Foresight Company as a consultant. Starting 2009 he was Project Director at Volkswagen Group Research in Wolfsburg, delivering foresight services to the whole Volkswagen group. Over the past decade Gereon has been guest lecturing at various European universities and has authored a number of articles and one book.